Vapor top oiler



June 1954 1.. H. ROBINSON 81, 51

VAPOR TOP OILER Filed July 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

53 i T I: a I- b /2 0 86 Fig. 2

Lawton H. Robinson 82 INVENTOR.

June 15, 1954 1.. H. ROBINSON VAPOR TOP OILER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3, 1952 Law/on H. Robinson INVENTOR.

BY gzewaafi'u MWWEMW Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE VAPOR TOP OILEE Lawton H. Robinson, Pueblo, 0010.

Application July 3, 1952, Serial No. 297,072

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to an attachment for internal combustion engines, and more specifically to an attachment for connection to a breather pipe of an internal combustion engine for conveying oil vapors from the same into an intake manifold of the engine whereby the oil vapors which are normally lost are utilized for lubrication of the pistons of the engine.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved vapor top oiler system which may be connected to a breather pipe of an internal combustion engine for conveying oil vapors from the crank case of an engine into the intake manifold of the engine for providing additional lubrication for parts of the engine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved vapor top oiler for attachment to a breather pipe of an internal combustion engine, said breather pipe oiler being connected to the intake manifold of the engine whereby oil vapors an improved vapor type oiler attachment for a crank case breather pipe, said attachment ineluding a valve for controlling flow of oil vapors from the breather pipe, said valve being actuated by the force of air from a fan of an internal combustion engine to which the vapor type oiler is connected whereby the opening of the valve means is in direct relation to the speed of the engine.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a conventional internal combustion engine for an automotive vehicle and shows the vapor top oiler system, which is the subject of this invention, mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a rotated fragmentary side elevational view on a reduced scale of the internal combustion engine of Figure 1 and generally shows the flow of oil vapors from the crank case of the engine up into the breather pipe and into the intake manifold of the engine;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of the intake manifold and carburetor of the internal combustion engine of Figure 1 and shows an outlet pipe for the vapor top oiler system mounted between the bottom of the carburetor and the upper end of the throat of the intake manifold;

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the outlet plate of Figure 1 and shows the general construction thereof, portions of the plate being broken away and shown in section in order to clearly illustrate the passageways for oil vapors therein;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva-- tional view of the upper end of the crank case breather pipe of the internal combustion engine of Figure 1 and shows the general outline of a vapor top oiler connected thereto;

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the vapor top oiler of Figure 5, the vapor top oiler being rotated 90 from the position illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 'l? of Figure 9 and shows the general arrangement of a valve disposed within the vapor top oiler and its relationship to an adjusting screw for limiting the opening movement of the valve;

[Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 8-3 of Figure 9 and shows the general construction of stop means for limiting the downward movement of the valve whereby it is prevented from moving to an open position below an outlet opening in the vapor top oiler;

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 99 of Figure 5 and shows the general construction of the valve means disposed within the vapor top oiler; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse horizontal sectional view showing the manner in which a section of piping is connected to the casing of the vapor top oiler to form an outlet passage for vapor drawn out of the breather pipe.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the difierent views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it

will be seen that there is illustrated in Figure l the upper end of a crank case breather pipe H! which has connected thereto a vapor top oiler, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 12. The vapor top oiler l2 includes a generally cylindrical sleeve [4 which is split at its lower end by elongated vertical slot it. The lower portion of the cylindrical sleeve portion i is provided with a pair of outwardly extending spaced lugs l8 which are connected together by an adjustable fastener 29. It will be seen that when the lugs 29 are pulled together by the fastener the vapor top oiler I 2 is securely con nected to the upper end of the crank case breather pipe ID.

The cylindical sleeve portion I4 has removably secured thereto a cap 22 which is threadedly engaged on the upper end thereof. As best illustrated in Figures 6 and '7, the cap 22 has a large opening 24 through which oil may be poured into the crank case of an engine through the breather pipe ll or through which excess oil vapors may pass. The cap 22 has secured to the upper surface thereof a pivoting closure plate 26 which is pivotally connected to the cap 22 by a centrally located fastener 23. It will be seen that the closure plate 22 may be moved to a position overlying the opening 2:3 and closing the same.

Referring now to Figure 10 in particular, it will be seen that connected to the cylindrical sleeve member :4 is a pipe fitting 39, the pipe fitting 3t having an enlarged portion 32 which is disposed within the cylindrical sleeve member i l and abuts the inner surface thereof. The pipe fitting 35) is secured in position by a lock nut 34 threadedly engaged thereon and engaging the outer surface of the cylindrical sleeve member it in order to clamp the portion thereof against the enlarged portion 32 of the pipe fitting 313.

It will be seen that when the opening 2 3 is closed and the engine to which the crank case breather pipe i9 is connected is running that oil vapors from the crank case of the engine will be urged out through the longitudinal bore in the pipe fitting 59, the bore being referred to in general by the reference numeral 36. Inasmuch as it is desired to control the flow of oil vapors through the bore 36 in the pipe fitting 3c, the

vapor top oiler i2 is provided with a valve mechwhich is referred to in general by the ref erence numeral 38. The valve mechanism 38 includes a valve plate 48 which is adjustably clamped to a control shaft 42 by a clamp plate which is urged into clamping relation by a fastener It will be noted that the control. shaft 32 extends through the wall of the cylindrical sleeve member M and is journaled therein for rotation. The valve plate Mi is provided at one end with a vertically extending flange 48, the flange 45 being disposed adjacent the inner end of the pipe fitting 3i] and adapted to engage the same for closing the inner end of the bore The opposite end of the valve plate 15 is provided with a vertical flange 56 which is longitudinally curved and engages the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve member 14 to function as a guide for the valve plate 43 and being adapted to urge the flange 48 into engagement with the enlarged inner end 52 of the pipe fitting 36.

It will be noted, as is best illustrated in Figure 7, the flange 48 of the valve plate ii} is movable from a position overlying the inner end of the pipe fitting 33 to an elevated position whereby the bore 36 is fully opened. It will be understood that the opening of the bore 36 should vary directly with the speed of the engine in order that a maximum of oil vapors will not be drawn to the intake manifold of the engine, in the manner in which it will be explained in more detail hereinafter, due to the increase vacuum when the engine is idling. Therefore, the valve plate 40 normally is positioned whereby its flange 48 closes the bore 36 when an engine is running at slow speeds. The downward movement of the valve plate 40 is limited by engagement with an upper surface of a stop member 52 which is in the form of a screw threaded into and extending inside of the cylindrical sleeve member [4. The cylindrical sleeve member M is also provided with an adjusting screw 54 which is in alignment with one edge of the flange 48 and is adapted to engage the same for limiting the upward movement of the valve plate 58 whereby the amount of the bore 35 being opened may be varied as desired. In order that the opening of the bore 35 may be controlled by the speed of an engine to which the crank case breather pipe is is a part, the control shaft s2 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly extending arm '56 to which is adjust ably connected a longitudinally extending curved 53. The fin 5B is adjustably clamped to the arm 56 by a clamp plate til which is connected thereto by a fastener 62. It will be understood that the force of rearward propelled air by a fan of an internal combustion engine is proportioned to the speed of the fan and, therefore, the striking of air under pressure against the fin 58 will result in the pivoting of the control shaft 42 to pivot the flange 58 out of its position overlying the inner end of the pipe fitting 36.

Referring now to Figure 4 in particular, it will be seen that there is illustrated an outlet plate, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral i l. The outlet plate 6 3 is in the form of a generally rectangular member having the same general outline as a gasket adapted to be disposed between the carburetor and an upper end of an intake manifold. The plate fi l in cludes a plurality of openings adjacent the corners thereof for receiving bolts for fastening the carburetor to an intake manifold. The plate 8 3 also includes a pair of enlarged openings 68 through which fuel and air pass down into the throat of the intake manifold. The plate fi l has threadedly engaged in one side edge thereof a pipe fitting l8 which is locked in place by a lock nut 72. The pipe fitting iii is hollow and communicates with an enlarged bore M in which the inner end is threaded. The bore is further communicates with the enlarged opening 63 by a pair of passages 56.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 in particular, it will be seen that the outlet plate 64 is mounted on the top of an intake manifold 18 below an associated carburetor 82 The intake manifold '18 and the carburetor 8t are parts of an internal combustion engine, which is referred to in general by the reference number 82, to which the crank case breather pipe is is connected. Extending between the pipe fitting 3B of the vapor top oiler I 2, which is mounted on the upper end of the crank case breather pipe IE3, is a length of flexible tubing 84 which is also connected to the pipe fitting iii of the outlet plate 64.

It will be seen that when the internal combustion engine 82 is running, a vacuum is set up in the intake manifold 18 and air and fuel is drawn down through the outlet plate 64. The vacuum set up in the intake manifold 13 also results in the drawing of oil vapors through the tubing 84 from the vapor top oiler l2. As pointed out above, the bore 36 through the pipe fitting 39 is closed when the internal combustion engine 82 is run at slow speeds in order that an undue amount of oil vapor will not be drawn therein due to the large vacuum of an idling engine. However, when the internal combustion engine 82 is speeded up, its fan 86 forces air back against the fin 58 with the result that the valve mechanism of the vapor top oiler I2 is moved to an open position. It will be seen that the opening of the valve mechanism will be directly dependent upon the pressure exerted on the fin 58 by the fan 86. It will be understood that the fin 58 is so adjusted on the arm 56 that the valve mechanism will be moved to a maximum open position at any desired speed of the internal combustion engine 82.

The operation of this device will be understood from the foregoing description of the details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modifications of the device, varying in minor details from the embodiment of the device illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An attachment for a breather pipe comprising a sleeve adapted to be mounted on an upper end of a breather pipe, attaching means at the lower end of said sleeve, a cap at the upper end of said sleeve, an outlet fitting communicating with the interior of said sleeve intermediate its ends, valve means responsive to the speed of an associated engine for controlling the flow of gases through said fitting, means carried by said cap for selectively controlling the entrance of air into said sleeve.

2. An attachment for a breather pipe comprising a sleeve adapted to be mounted on an upper end of a breather pipe, attaching means at the lower end of said sleeve, 2. cap at the upper end of said sleeve, an outlet fitting communicating with the interior of said sleeve intermediate its ends, valve means responsive to the speed of an associated engine for controlling the flow of gases through said fitting, means carried by said cap for selectively controlling the entrance of air into said sleeve, said outlet fitting having one end disposed within said sleeve, said valve means including a pivotally mounted plate selectively alignable with said one end for closing the same, a vane disposable in the path of air from an engine fan connected to said' plate for effecting pivoting of said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,323,766 Hodges Dec. 2, 1919 1,463,532 Krichbaum July 31, 1923 1,505,288 Rivers et a1. Aug. 19, 1924.- 2,166,720 Gorleski July 18, 1939 

